The Past Will Come to Light
by HLJ137
Summary: Shortly after their engagement, Anne and Frederick join Admiral and Mr. Croft for dinner at Kellynch Hall. As a result of Sophia's questioning, Anne and Frederick are forced to tell his family of their secret history.
1. Chapter 1

Sophia sat at the dining table waiting for dinner to be officially served. She watched her brother intently. Now that his engagement to Anne had been announced, she frequently found herself scrutinizing him whenever she was in their company, and tonight that was her chief purpose. She had been very pleased when Frederick had told her of his engagement to Anne, as she had come to regard Anne as a friend, but she had also been surprised. She had not noticed him paying her any attention over the last few months. He certainly had not paid her the same amount of attention he had paid the Musgrove girls, so Sophia had initially been suspicious about the circumstances that led to his being engaged to Anne.

Once the news of their engagement had gotten out, rumors abounded. Sophia heard them all. Most atrocious to her was the idea that Frederick had proposed to Anne because he was jealous of Benwick having secured Louisa Musgrove's hand. Sophia knew her brother well enough to find that idea preposterous, and she thought she knew Anne well enough to doubt she would ever accept such a proposal. However, she had to admit that Frederick's engagement to Anne had come as a surprise to many, when he had previously seemed to prefer everyone _but_ her.

It was partly with these rumors in mind that Sophia had organized this little dinner party. She of course wanted to welcome her friend into her family as a soon-to-be sister, but she was also determined to find out more about the attachment between her brother and Anne. She was sure the dinner would be a success, for once Sophia Croft put her mind to something, it always came about.

These musings were interrupted when Sophia realized that her husband had asked her a question. She had been too preoccupied with her own thoughts and missed what he had asked. Slightly abashed, she asked, "What was that my dear?"

The Admiral smiled at her. He knew her well enough to recognize that she had been lost in thought. His question had been an attempt to pull her back into the conversation. "We were speaking of Captain Wentworth's plans for the end of his shore leave after the wedding," he informed her. "Do you not think that Miss Anne would enjoy travelling the world with her husband as you and I have done?"

Sophia shot him a thankful glance for cueing her in and replied enthusiastically, "oh yes, of course she would," Sophia declared. With a friendly and knowing look at Anne, she added, "she is not the type of woman to miss the niceties of finer society, I think."

Anne dipped her head in gratitude for Mrs. Croft's acknowledgement. "I should very much like to see the world, I think," Anne replied. Looking over at Frederick, she added, "I have traveled so little that every fresh place is of interest to me."

Frederick grinned indulgently at her in response and Anne blushed slightly. Sophia felt that she was missing out on some private confidence between them. Her brows furrowed in confusion. They certainly seemed very attached to each other for two people who had known each other for so little time. Their attachment was even more surprising given how little attention they had appeared to give each other during that short time. She and the Admiral had certainly been very attached at the time of their engagement, but it was a few years into marriage before they had been sharing private jokes with each other in front of company at dinner.

It seemed that every sentence said increased Sophia's confusion, and she was determined to get to the bottom of it. She sought for a way to bring up their engagement and ask them about it without being improper. Finally, she settled on asking, "did you ever imagine yourself sailing the world as the wife of a sailor, Anne?"

Sophia had asked the question lightly and had meant the question to be somewhat in jest, but to her surprise Anne colored deeply and looked down at her hands. Looking at Frederick, Sophia saw that his smile had faded and he was watching Anne intently, as if he was deeply interested in her answer. Finally Anne quietly said, "At one time, perhaps I did." Avoiding Frederick's intense gaze, she continued, "but I have not thought if it for many years. I suppose... I never imagined it as a possibility." Dinner was served at that time, which saved Anne from having to elaborate and brought in a welcome distraction. Once the servants exited, however, the air became uncomfortable once again.

Sophia was confused, and she felt bad for having caused Anne such obvious discomfort, though she was unsure why her question had garnered such a response. Luckily, it seemed that the Admiral also picked up on the stiffness of the conversation, and he attempted to divert it by asking the pair if they had set a wedding date.

This question seemed to ease the couple's discomfort, and Frederick's smile returned. "We have, although it is not generally known," he answered. "But, as we are among family, I suppose it cannot hurt to tell you. We have decided on May 15th."

"Ah, lovely," said Sophia, "a spring wedding." Neither Frederick nor Anne responded, but they shared another private smile that told Sophia she was missing something again. With talk of their wedding, she finally found her opportunity to ask about the engagement. "We are all very excited for your wedding," she said, "but I must admit, we were rather surprised when the news of your engagement broke."

Frederick looked questioningly at her. "Surprised?" He echoed, "why should you be surprised?"

Sophia tried to approach the situation delicately. She did not want to offend them, but she also wanted some answers. "Well," she said with a shrug, "there was never much sign of an attachment between you two, and you had not known each other for that long of a time…" she trailed off, hoping to get them to fill her in.

To her surprise, Anne colored and looked away again. At this point, Sophia knew there must be something more to their story that she was missing. She looked to her brother for an answer, but he too had avoided her gaze. Shifting uncomfortably, he looked over at Anne. Sophia watched as Anne looked back at him. He seemed to be questioning her without words. Anne looked particularly distressed. The silence had started to become so strained that the Admiral looked over to Sophia to see if he had missed something himself. She shrugged lightly and turned her attention back to her brother.

Frederick had put his hand on Anne's shoulder and leaned over, ostensibly to whisper something in her ear. This action was perhaps pushing the boundaries of propriety, but as they were alone, Sophia said nothing. Finally, Anne sighed and nodded. Frederick sighed too and looked back at his sister and the Admiral.

"There is something that you should know," he said, his voice intense. "And though it likely goes without saying at this table, I would ask that you keep this in your confidence for the time being." He waited until both Sophia and the Admiral nodded before continuing. "Anne and I have known each other for a very long time," he said hesitatingly. It was obvious to Sophia that this speech was painful for him. "As you perhaps know, we were acquainted in the year six, when I visited here during my leave." His sister and brother-in-law both nodded once more. "However," Frederick sighed, "we were much more than simply acquainted."

He paused, letting them make their inferences from his suggestion. Sophia looked at Anne, who was studiously examining her food and avoiding looking up. Her expression was unreadable, but it seemed to Sophia that she was striving to control her features. Frederick looked over to Anne momentarily, but she did not look up. When it became clear that no one would respond, Frederick elaborated, "we were… very much attached to each other then, and we were engaged for a short time. But," he sighed heavily, "it was not to be, at the time."

He said no more, and Sophia and the Admiral looked at each other in astonishment. Sophia realized that when Frederick had whispered to Anne earlier, he must have been asking her permission to share their secret. She had been suspicious that there was more to their story than she knew, but she had not expected anything like this. She found herself at a loss for words. Once again the Admiral filled the silence by saying, "that was nearly nine years ago now. And you are still as devoted to one another as you were then?" he asked, somewhat incredulously.

Some of the pain left Anne's face and she looked up at Frederick for the first time since his admission. He smiled fondly at her and nodded. "Even more so," he said quietly, his eyes not leaving hers, "if that is possible." Finally Anne smiled in response.

Sophia had numerous questions: why had they not told anyone of their engagement before? Why had they ended it? What had happened in the intervening years? However, she sensed that this was neither the time nor place to continue barraging them. She did not want to cause them any further discomfort than she already had, and she was grateful to them for confiding even this much in her. However, she resolved to interrogate her brother more later, when she could talk to him alone.

Recalling the looks her brother and Anne had shared throughout the evening, a thought occurred to Sophia. "May 15th," she said questioningly, "might we assume that date has some importance to the two of you?"

Anne finally spoke, though her voice was quiet and abashed, "it was the day we met," she said, "in the year six." Anne looked back up at Frederick, and they once again smiled at each other. Sophia smiled too, for she had not seen her brother look quite so happy in a very long time.

The party was quiet for a time, but eventually talk moved on to other things, and Sophia regaled Anne with stories of her adventures and life at sea.

* * *

After dinner, as the party was retiring into the great room for the evening, Anne and Frederick found themselves able to talk privately for the first time. Gently pulling her aside, Frederick whispered, "thank you." Anne looked at him questioningly, so he said, "for giving me leave to tell them."

Anne blushed and said, "they are your family. They deserved to know." As much as she had hoped their secret could remain only between them and Lady Russell, Anne had figured Frederick's family would find out eventually. She was just glad to have done with the conversation.

Frederick nodded. He whispered, "I must admit, it is a relief to have them know. I am very close to my sister and her husband, and though I never told them anything untrue, only letting them know half of the truth nonetheless felt like deceit."

Anne simply nodded, but Frederick could tell she was still uncomfortable. "I do wish I could have told them in private," he lamented, "I am sorry to have caused you distress by discussing it in your presence."

"Oh," Anne said, mildly surprised, "no, it is better that I was there as well." Looking at him sadly, she added, "the past is not your burden to bear alone."

Frederick smiled, wishing they were alone so he could take her in his arms and never let her go. As it was, he contented himself with taking her hand and pressing it to his lips. Anne beamed, and Frederick thought his heart might burst. They stood there looking into each other's eyes until they heard the Admiral's voice calling them from the next room. Fredrick turned toward the sound of voices and went to find his family while still holding Anne's hand, for he was reluctant to let it go.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: I hadn't planned on updating this story, but I felt that a longer conversation between Frederick and Sophia would help to flush out the whole story and satisfy Sophia's curiosity, so here it is. Hope you enjoy! :)_

* * *

When the evening had come to a close, Admiral Croft escorted Anne back to her current lodging at her sister's cottage in Uppercross. Frederick had desired to escort her himself, but Anne had insisted on propriety, and until they were married, she thought it better that the Admiral escort her instead. Frederick reluctantly agreed. This arrangement left Frederick and Sophia alone in the sitting room at Kellynch until the Admiral returned.

Frederick sat in a chair near the fireplace and stared into the flames. He found his thoughts wandered, but as he sat there contemplating the fire before him, he gradually became aware of his sister's eyes on him. Frederick sat in silence for a few more moments, but he was unable to keep a smile from creeping over his features. At last he teased, "If you have something you would like to say, Sophia, I am at your disposal."

Sophia smiled. She should have known her brother would notice her studying him. He always did. "I have nothing specific to say to you, Frederick," she asserted. "I was simply musing over some silly gossip I heard the other day."

Frederick waited for her to expand, but it was obvious she would not say more without his prodding. She wanted to draw him in. Frederick chuckled and leaned back in his chair. He turned his attention from the fire to his sister with a chuckle. "Alright, I'll play." With a teasing sigh, he asked, "What gossip did you hear?"

"Well," Sophia hesitated, "I have heard it said that your proposal to Miss Elliot was done out of… Something other than love." Sophia coughed uncomfortably to buy herself a second before continuing. "That is, it is commonly thought that you cared for Louisa Musgrove, and when she announced her engagement to another… Some have said you sought a quick engagement of your own, to save face."

The teasing smile disappeared from Frederick's face immediately. He frowned. "That is ridiculous," he asserted indignantly. "Surely you do not believe it."

"No, of course not," Sophia assured him. "Especially not after what you told us at dinner tonight." Frederick nodded solemnly. Sophia waited a moment before adding, "But you must admit, Frederick, you did pay quite a bit of attention to Louisa Musgrove, and almost none to Anne. Surely you are aware of how that must have looked?"

Frederick heaved a heavy sigh. He nodded again slowly, mumbling, "Yes, I am aware."

Sophia waited for an explanation, but Frederick gave none. After a labored pause, she finally asked, "Then why pay her so much attention when you were attached to Anne?"

"I did not think that I _was _still attached to Anne!"

This assertion came out more forcefully than Frederick had intended. He groaned. It was not fair of him to take out his frustration with himself on his sister. He had not meant to yell, but he was embarrassed by what he had done and how foolish he had been, and the need to defend himself had momentarily taken over. He took a few calming breaths before resuming his explanation in a more measured tone: "When Anne and I first met again, I was determined _not _to be attached to her. I was convinced I did not love her, I _would _not love her. I thought I could force myself to fall for someone else, and Louisa Musgrove was an easy choice."

There was a long silence interrupted only by the crackling fire. It ended only when Frederick exhaled heavily. More quietly, he went on, "And, perhaps, some part of me wanted to show Anne that I could, and would, pay attentions to another woman. After all, I was still hurt and resentful." Frederick rubbed his face with his hands. "In short," he huffed, "I was blind."

Sophia took a moment to absorb everything her brother had just revealed. He had said much, but one part of it did not seem like the brother she knew. One word he had said stuck out to her as odd. Eventually, Sophia voiced her confusion by echoing, "Resentful?" Frederick nodded but did not otherwise respond, so Sophia continued, "I never knew you to be a resentful man, Frederick."

Frederick shrugged sadly. "Well… she broke my heart, Soph," he sighed. "We were very much in love at the time, and I suppose, the greater an attachment is, the greater the pain will be when it is broken."

Frederick's gaze returned to the fire once more, his features solemn. Sophia could tell that the past did not bring fond memories for her brother. She was sorry to cause him pain, but she was also desperate for answers to the gaps in what she knew of her brother's life. She wanted to fully understand their story before she welcomed Anne into the family.

"Frederick," Sophia said softly, bringing her brother's attention back to her, "what happened between you and Anne in the year six?"

Frederick sighed. He should have known his sister would not be satisfied with their meager explanation at dinner. As discussing the past was the single most painful thing Frederick could currently imagine, he wished himself anywhere but here. Now that he and Anne were reunited once more, Frederick wished he could put the past behind him once and for all and not be forced to speak of it again. However, he knew he could not put off his sister's questions forever, and she really did deserve to know.

With a groan, Frederick reluctantly began to relate his story: "I met Anne when I was on shore leave. I had come to the area to visit Edward. He had the curacy of Monkford at the time, as you know." Frederick had begun haltingly, but as he lost himself in memories of the past, his words came more freely. "Anne and I met by chance. I attended one of Edward's sermons one Sunday, and Anne was present. Edward introduced me to her family. Anne and I talked for a bit after the sermon, and I was captivated immediately. After that day, I made a point of running into her whenever possible. I did my best to secure invitations to gatherings I knew she would be attending. My affection must have been obvious, and to my delight, it was not long before I became aware that my affection was returned."

Sophia was grinning. She enjoyed hearing the story of Frederick's young love. She had always known him capable of deep feelings, but it amused her to hear the rugged sailor before her admit to following the girl of his interest around town.

Frederick, however, was lost in his story and did not notice his sister's grins. "We fell rapidly and deeply in love. We shared everything, from thoughts and opinions to feelings and interests. It was as if we had found kindred spirits in each other." Frederick sighed nostalgically. "It was not long before I proposed marriage to her. She accepted at first, and gladly. Those were the happiest days of my life, Soph," he said honestly.

Frederick's eyes had returned to the fire, but his stare was far away. It was as if he was reliving that time in his mind's eye. Sophia patiently waited for him to tell her the rest of the story, but Frederick appeared to have trailed off. Sophia knew him well enough to know that he was lost in thoughts of the past. She gave him a few moments before bringing his attention to the present once more by quietly asking, "Frederick... What happened?"

Frederick continued to stare sadly into the fire. His voice was quiet but thick when he answered, "She was persuaded to give me up."

"Persuaded?" Sophia echoed, "by whom?"

"Her family, and Lady Russell," Frederick sneered. Although it was all in the past now, Frederick was unable to keep a hint of bitterness out of his voice. "They told her that I was not good enough for a baronet's daughter, that I had no fortune, no connections, and very uncertain prospects. I suppose that was true," he sighed, "but as she had returned my feelings and had originally accepted my proposal, I was not prepared when she suddenly broke it off. I tried to plead with her, to tell her they were wrong, but it was no use. She had been persuaded and it was over. I went back to sea angry and heartbroken. I thought I would never see her again."

Brother and sister sat in silence for a long moment. Sophia thought over all she had heard. After a while she shook her head in astonishment. "What a coincidence that we ended up renting her family's home, knowing nothing of all this," she said.

Despite himself, Frederick chuckled and nodded. "Yes. A coincidence indeed. I cannot even begin to describe how I felt when I received your letter naming Kellynch as your new residence."

Sophia returned his smile. "You must have been very surprised."

"I was," Frederick agreed. "Very surprised. And, to be honest, though it is not very gallant, I must admit I was pleased to hear that Kellynch was up for rent. To think that the prideful Sir Walter Elliot, whose family I had been deemed not worthy of joining, had been brought down in the world… Well," he sighed, ashamed of the admission, "it was not my proudest moment. But I thought that if I returned here to Kellynch, rich off prize money from the war, I could put the past behind me once and for all. I knew that by returning I was likely to meet Anne again, but I thought that encountering her would allow me to finally forget her and move on. After all, our positions would be switched this time. I would be the rich bachelor and she would be the daughter of a disgraced spendthrift baronet who could no longer afford to live in his own home."

Sophia looked surprised at her brother's caustic words. "You must have been bitter indeed," she said.

Frederick nodded. "Yes. As I said, I loved her immensely, and she broke my heart. I thought that the perverse joy I took in the change in our relative positions was evidence that I no longer cared for her. However," Frederick smiled at his own folly, "I was mistaken."

Sophia smiled. "If you had stopped caring for her, you would no longer be bitter, and thus her family's downfall would not have interested you," she observed.

Frederick smiled too. He nodded. "You know me well, Soph" he chuckled. "I had never forgotten Anne, or even met her equal. I never recovered from the pain of losing her. As it turns out, I was still resentful after all these years _because_ I still loved her."

"You just didn't know that you did."

"No, I did not," Frederick confirmed. "I paid all my attentions to Louisa because I wanted to believe I did not still love Anne. I wanted to prove to myself that I no longer cared for her and that I could forget her and fall for another. As I said, I was blind."

Sophia nodded. "At what point, then, did your feelings toward Anne change?"

Frederick took a moment before he responded. He thought back over the events of the past few months and tried to pinpoint the moment he had realized he still cared for Anne. "I do not think my feelings ever changed," he said at last. "It is only that at some point I realized what I had felt all along. But I do not know that I can give you an exact moment."

There was a pause while Frederick thought some more before continuing, "the more time we spent in each other's company, the more I found myself comparing other girls to Anne. The Musgroves were both amiable young women, sure, but over time I unconsciously found many faults with them, and in my mind, their faults were always to be contrasted with Anne's virtues. No one ever quite lived up to Anne in my estimation, whether I realized it or not. I suppose, though," he added, "I realized it after the incident in Lyme. That was the first time the Anne I had known returned. She took charge of everything. She was the most clearheaded, the most prepared, the smartest, and the most capable of any of us." Frederick smiled. "I realized then that she was still the girl I had fallen in love with, and no one had or would ever replace her in my heart."

Sophia smiled. Since their childhood, her brother had always been a man of deep feeling. Those he loved he loved fiercely. She was not at all surprised to find how intense his feelings for Anne were, both the good and the bad, for all he had concealed them so well for so long. She was glad that he had come to his senses and tried again for Anne's hand. He deserved to be with the woman he clearly cared so deeply for.

At last, Sophia asked, "is that why you went to Bath so quickly? You were following Anne? When you left Lyme for Shropshire, we had thought you intended to make a long visit there, but then you came so quickly to Bath. I had wondered if there was a reason for your sudden change."

"Yes, that was it," Frederick confirmed. "Once I realized my feelings for Anne and was freed from any attachment to Louisa by her engagement to Benwick, I hurried to Bath to find Anne again."

Sophia could not suppress a quiet laugh. Frederick looked at her quizzically. "I'm sorry," she said, "it simply amuses me to think of you following her here to Bath." Teasingly, she added, "Brave sailor and war hero Captain Frederick Wentworth, reduced to chasing his girl around England like a lovesick puppy."

Frederick, pretending offense but unable to keep from grinning, made to rise from his chair. "I will not stand for this abuse," he snorted.

Sophia laughed. "Oh, sit back down," she insisted with a waive. "I'm only teasing you. In all honesty, I am happy for you, Frederick. I had noticed that you had not been in good spirits the last few years, but you hid your pain well. I put it down to weariness from your work at sea or something, I suppose. But I am glad you are happy once more."

"I am sorry I did not tell you any of this before," Frederick lamented. "It was embarrassing enough that Edward knew, and –"

Sophia cut him off: "Edward knew?"

Frederick grinned at the jealousy he detected in his sister's voice. Growing up, Sophia had always been Frederick's confidante, and it was clear she did not like the idea of ceding that position to their brother.

"Yes, Edward knew," Frederick confirmed. "He was here at the time and could hardly have missed all that transpired. I was staying with him, after all. But do not blame him for not telling you, Soph. I swore him to secrecy. I was hurt and embarrassed, and I thought the less people knew of it, the better."

"Well then, I suppose I cannot blame him for keeping his word," Sophia laughed. "But I am glad you decided to tell me now."

Frederick returned her smile. "Decided?" he joked, "I do not think I decided to tell you so much as I was coerced into it."

Sophia snickered. "You are incorrigible, you know," she teased.

Frederick simply grinned at her and the conversation faded. He eventually turned his gaze back toward the fire, a smile on his face at last. Sophia continued studying him as he watched the flames leaping before his eyes. She was glad to see his smile return. Now that she knew his whole story, it struck her how little she had seen her brother smile in recent years. Even when they had been far apart, the tone of his letters to her had not been positive in many years. Sophia guiltily acknowledged that she had failed to take much notice of the decline in his spirits.

Now, however, Frederick was happy once again. Sophia was happy for him. Her brother was a good man and would make an excellent husband. He deserved to be happy. She smiled as she watched him. It amazed her that after all that Frederick and Anne had gone through, and all the adversity they had faced, they had found their way back to each other at last.


End file.
